Chapter 10 – The Promise On Paper
When Luca returned home that evening, the sun was just beginning to set, casting long golden shadows across the estate.
I was waiting for him in the foyer.
The moment he walked through the heavy front doors, loosening his silk tie, I ran to him.
I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest.
Luca let out a surprised, breathless laugh, instantly wrapping his strong arms around my waist and lifting me slightly off the floor.
“I take it you found the envelope,” Luca murmured against my hair, holding me tightly.
“You made me the director,” I whispered, pulling back just enough to look into his dark, tired, but incredibly happy eyes. “Luca, it’s a multi-million dollar foundation. I don’t have a business degree. Are you sure?”
Luca gently set me down, framing my face with his large, warm hands.
“I don’t need a business degree to run it,” Luca said firmly, his eyes burning with absolute certainty. “I need someone with a heart big enough to care for children they’ve never met. I need you.”
He kissed me, slow and deep, erasing the last lingering shadows of doubt from my mind.
“We have our first board meeting next week,” Luca smiled against my lips. “You better buy a nice suit, Madam Director.”
I laughed, tears of pure joy spilling over my cheeks.
The following Sunday was a quiet, beautiful morning.
Teresa, Luca, and I stood in the private family cemetery located on the far edge of the estate grounds, surrounded by ancient weeping willows.
It was the anniversary of Sophie’s death.
But for the first time in three years, it didn’t feel like a day of suffocating despair. It felt like a day of peaceful remembrance.
We stood before a beautiful white marble headstone carved with an angel.
Teresa placed a bouquet of fresh yellow daisies—Sophie’s favorite—at the base of the stone. She said a quiet prayer, kissed her fingertips, and touched the marble before stepping back.
Luca stood silently for a long moment, staring at his daughter’s name.
He didn’t look broken anymore. He looked at peace.
He reached into the pocket of his dark overcoat.
He pulled out the tiny, mud-stained pink rain boot. The one Teresa had found in the garden months ago.
He knelt down and placed the little pink boot gently next to the yellow daisies.
“We didn’t forget you, Principessa,” Luca whispered to the wind. “We’re moving forward. But we’re taking you with us.”
He stood up, wiping a single tear from his cheek, and turned to me.
He held out his hand.
I took it, squeezing his fingers tightly.
We walked back toward the mansion, the three of us together, leaving the pink boot resting safely in the sun.
